Will B.

B.

Ah, the great tradition of a road trip. Some people love them, some people hate them, and some people do not care either way.

I personally love good road trips. Not counting the incredible discomfort and pain it causes me due to my A.S. (Ankylosing Spondylitis). I love them for their adventure and mystery. I just never know what attraction, interesting person or delicious food I will run into around the next bend in the road.

My love life has been hit or miss since my divorce but I have a companion that’s perfectly compatible with me. I have found just such a companion who I may write about later. This new relationship will once again be long distance but not as long as the three hours’ drive from years past.

This drive will be a very manageable oneand- half-hour drive. I don’t mind the drive so much because a short road trip can be enjoyable, especially on my joints since the trip will be shorter.

Some people prefer to plan every aspect of the road trip down to the smallest detail. I prefer to wing it. Except for the end destination and maybe one or two main attractions at the location I will be visiting. It is part of the fun of the trip. Of course, I do use Google Maps to keep informed of what may be popping up as I navigate the back roads of my journey.

Now, what to munch on said journey is a different story altogether. I put great planning into what I will drink and what munchables I will be taking on the road trip. Beef jerky? Yes please! Some kind of salty crunchy chips? Check! Water? Begrudgingly…., Energy Drink? Need to keep alert so that’s a big yes! Salty nuts and gum? Check and check.

Next, and most important in my book, is a proper playlist. I could go on and on, but a few must-haves are a 1980s mix. Some country classics, such as Garth Brooks and George Strait, and no road trip playlist is complete without some 90s hip hop. Beastie Boys, Warren G, Snoop Dog.

Lastly you need your ride-or-die or road dog to complete the list. Generally, your girlfriend, wife, best bud and occasionally co-worker. I will have none for this regular lone journey – maybe I will take Daisy May or Burt.

Road trips are all about the journey, in most cases not the destination, but these regular trips will be about the destination.

In the famous words of one of my favorite characters of one of my favorite movies of all time, Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

This is Will B. traveling, and saying enjoy the journey.